Navratri & Garba 2026 in Westbury: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate

TL;DR

• Navratri 2026 runs October 2-11, and Long Island's Desi community marks it with garba nights, temple puja, and dandiya gatherings. 🎶
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville is Long Island's first traditionally built Hindu temple and a center for devotional Navratri observance.
• The Brahmin Society of New York hosts one of the area's largest Dandiya nights at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, drawing well over a thousand attendees.
• DESI Fuzion's Mumbai-style garba at Sapphire Banquet in Hicksville brings a high-energy celebration to central Nassau County.
• Westbury sits at the geographic center of one of the most concentrated South Asian communities in New York State.

Nine Nights on Long Island

Long Island's South Asian communities have made Navratri into one of the most energetically observed festivals in the New York area. The nine-night celebration honoring the goddess Durga—and the garba and dandiya raas that are the Gujarati diaspora's signature contribution to how the festival is marked worldwide—draws community members from Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Queens, and beyond into a season of dancing, temple visits, and shared festivity.

Westbury, positioned in the middle of Nassau County, sits at the geographic and cultural center of much of this activity. Long Island's Indian American population is estimated at 80,000 or more, concentrated in corridors that include Westbury, Hicksville, Syosset, and their surrounding communities. For residents of this area, Navratri 2026—running October 2 through October 11—is not a single event but a season, with overlapping celebrations at temples, banquet halls, and athletic complexes spread across the ten festival nights.

For those who cannot make the main festival window, post-Navratri garba events are common on Long Island, and some organizers extend the celebration well into late October.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Melville

The most architecturally significant Hindu temple on Long Island is the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, built by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Samstha—one of the largest Swaminarayan Hindu denominations globally, with mandirs on six continents. The organization's website at baps.org carries current event listings for the Long Island mandir.

Described at its opening as the first traditionally built Hindu temple on Long Island, the Melville mandir was conceived to serve the spiritual needs of South Asian communities across Nassau and Suffolk Counties—a project that had been a goal for decades before completion. Navratri is among the most significant festivals on the temple's annual calendar, with aarti and puja services held on each of the nine nights.

For those observing Navratri in a devotional rather than celebratory mode—daily puja, fasting, ashtami kanya, Saraswati Puja depending on regional tradition—the mandir provides a structured, spiritually grounded space distinct from the garba halls. The BAPS organization's website at baps.org carries the Long Island mandir's program schedules and serves as the most reliable source for confirmed festival times.

Insider Tip: BAPS mandirs observe a dress code requiring traditional Indian attire during festivals. Arriving early for the evening aarti on any of the nine nights lets you find a comfortable position before the hall fills. Check the mandir's website or social media channels for exact aarti times, which can shift slightly from night to night.

Brahmin Society of New York, Uniondale

If the Melville temple represents the devotional dimension of Navratri, the Brahmin Society of New York (BSNY) brings the festival's celebratory energy to Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. BSNY has operated as a registered nonprofit serving Long Island and the tri-state area since 1987. Despite its name, the organization is open to all members of the South Asian community.

The annual Dandiya Night is among the largest South Asian community events in Nassau County. In 2024, 1,200 people attended the evening at Hicksville Middle School; in 2025, the venue at Mitchel Athletic Complex was booked to accommodate more than 2,000 attendees. The 2026 event was listed for October 10 at the same Uniondale facility.

The evening follows the classic garba night format: traditional circular garba in the opening rounds gives way to dandiya raas with wooden sticks, and live or DJ-performed music from the Gujarati and Bollywood repertoire drives the energy through the night. BSNY has also staged charity fundraisers and cultural programs throughout the year, including a Diwali gala, making it one of the more active South Asian nonprofits serving the Long Island community.

DESI Fuzion, Hicksville

For a more Bollywood-inflected flavor of the celebration, DESI Fuzion's garba nights at Sapphire Banquet in Hicksville have built a consistent following on Long Island. The organizers describe their event as a Mumbai-style Garba and Dandiya Night, which in practice means a playlist that blends traditional garba with film songs, remixed beats, and contemporary Bollywood tracks.

Hicksville's central position in Nassau County, accessible from Westbury and across much of Long Island's South Asian belt, makes it a practical venue for community members who want a more contemporary evening without the stricter devotional atmosphere of a temple event. DESI Fuzion's 2026 edition was listed for October 18, extending the Navratri celebrations past the official nine-night window for those who want to keep dancing.

Navratri at Home and in the Neighborhood

The garba events capture most of the public attention, but Navratri in a Westbury desi household is also marked by nine days of home puja. Families set up an altar with an image of Durga or one of her nine manifestations, light lamps each evening, and observe fasting practices that vary by family and regional tradition. Many households perform kanya puja on Ashtami or Navami—inviting young girls representing the goddess for a ceremonial meal—which is one of the most intimate observances of the festival season.

Local South Asian grocery stores and specialty shops in and around Westbury see increased activity during the Navratri period. Puja supplies, sweets, and ingredients for fasting-friendly snacks are widely available, a practical marker of how deeply the community is embedded in the local commercial landscape. The concentration of South Asian businesses in this part of Nassau County means that everything needed for home observance is accessible without a long drive.

FAQ

When is Navratri 2026? Navratri 2026 runs from October 2 through October 11.

What is the difference between garba and dandiya? Garba is a circular dance performed around a central lamp or image of the goddess, usually in the first part of the evening. Dandiya raas involves dancing with decorated wooden sticks and typically follows garba later in the night.

Do I need to be Hindu or Gujarati to attend a garba night? No. Events organized by groups like BSNY and DESI Fuzion are open to anyone who comes respectfully and wants to join the dancing.

Is there a dress code for garba events? Traditional dress is strongly encouraged and nearly universal at community garba nights. Many attendees coordinate outfits, and some events hold costume competitions.

Where can I find confirmed schedules for Navratri events on Long Island? Check the websites and social media pages of BAPS Long Island, the Brahmin Society of New York, and DESI Fuzion directly for confirmed dates and any last-minute changes.

Bottom Line

For South Asian residents of Westbury and the broader Nassau County community, Navratri 2026 spans the full range of how the festival can be observed. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville grounds the season in daily devotion. The Brahmin Society of New York and DESI Fuzion bring the community together for garba and dandiya nights that carry traditions rooted thousands of miles away into a distinctly Long Island setting. Between home puja, temple visits, and the dance floors of Hicksville and Uniondale, the nine nights of Navratri give this community something to look forward to every autumn.